Have you ever felt that life was so much easier and relaxed till the intermediate (+2) days? Life was still like normal school days but once it’s over, something changes. You are part of the race now. Confused and stressed as to which field to choose for bachelors; asking for suggestions and searching for the scope, getting oneself enrolled in various institutions with the hope of cracking MBBS and engineering admissions and even preparing for abroad study. This is just the trailer. After you choose a field and get admitted in a college, you are not sure if you have taken the right decision of choosing that particular field and that particular career and life for yourself. Thoughts might creep in: “I shouldn’t have chosen this field, I absolutely have no interest now”, “I should have been brave enough to tell my parents about my dream and bold enough to convince them to pursue that field”, “It’s too late now, my parents have invested so much in me, and I cannot let them down”. Well, these are just examples, but the mental stress and dilemma one goes through is many. You then realize that you are lacking the motivation to study and fail the exam. You have no guts to tell your parents about it because you have never failed in an exam before. You somehow manage to complete your degree, that’s when the real-life race begins. You now enter into the real world. You are expected to join a company as an intern or a fresh graduate and get yourself a job.
Do you know someone who has gone through this phase? What about you? This 20s to 30s age is really confusing and frustrating. You are young and inexperienced. You are just beginning your career and learning to adapt in the real scary world while you see your friends getting married and going abroad. This is not only mine or your story, but it’s universal. Every person in this world goes through this phase of life. Not only you or I, but every single person is confused about his or her life. No one has any idea what he/she should do next. Very few people have his goal figured out early in life. And trust me, that number is very less.
I am not writing this to scare you or tell you that life is very confusing and all but, I want to tell you that life is not all about these things. Life is not a race. Life is not all about the grades, accolades, title, money or fame. Life is simple and beautiful. This life was given to us as a gift by the god. He only wants us to be happy. You are not supposed to do what others are doing. You are not supposed to be like someone else. You are not supposed to follow the herd. You are different, and that’s what unique about you and sets you apart from others. You are supposed to understand yourself and discover the unlimited power within you.
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer.”
- Jim Carrey
Your life is inside your head. What you think, you become. What’s the use of working so hard if you are not happy? What’s the use of your degree, your title, your money or your fame if you are not content with yourself? Why do you take life so seriously?
Well, let me take a moment and tell you that IT’S OKAY. It’s completely fine. Did you fail your exam? It’s ok! You couldn’t start your diet you’d been planning on for months and ate that cake again? It’s ok! Did you let down your parents for not living up to their expectations? It’s ok! You aren’t successful in running your business and you failed? It’s ok. You couldn’t quit smoking today? It’s ok! You did that thing one more time you were trying to give up? It’s ok. Everything is going to be alright.
Life is full of ups and downs, tries and failures, happiness and sadness. If you failed today, it doesn’t mean that your life is over. Failing is the first step towards success; it’s an experience. If Thomas Edison had given up at his 1000th attempt to invent the light bulb, we would still be living in darkness.
Edison replied, "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps." "Great success is built on failure, frustration, even catastrophe."
Go and search for any biographies or watch any documentaries of great humans who’d ever existed. You will not find a single great person with an easy past. You do not fail until you give up.
So, my friend, it’s okay if you are not doing well at this point in time. The good thing about time is that it changes. So don’t overthink and create problems that weren’t there in the first place. Spend quality time with your parents, and if possible, talk to them and spend as much time as possible with them. Talk to your friends. Go out and have dinner. If you always wanted to do something, go for it. You always wanted to go and do a bungee jump? Go for it. You always wanted to sing a song in front of a mass? Do it. You always wanted to tell your parents how much you loved them? Tell them. Life is made from such small moments which eventually becomes big moments when you look back at them years from now.
Don’t rush your life. Not everyone’s life is the same, and not their time as well. Don’t get upset by comparing your life with someone else’s. You don’t have any idea what they have been through. So take a deep breath and try it one more time. You don’t have any idea what is stored for you in the future. Believe in yourself and do things that will make you happy. When you look back from your death bed, you will only see those moments and experiences. So make it worth it.
Remember, life is not a race and you’re not here to win in anybody else’s race. You are here to live your own life. You are here to be happy and share happiness. You are here to do what you love to do. Don’t worry! Work hard and live a tension free life. Plan things better but live in the present. Life will itself unfold its plans for you. You just need to have faith, patience, and dedication.
I wish you nothing but happiness. Cheers to life!